Eye for a Recipe

This potato salad from Nigella Lawson is a nice change from the mayo-based version. Steam small potatoes and make the dressing. Slice the cooled potatoes in half and toss with the dressing. Add pickles, capers and herbs and toss again. Serve topped with more fresh herbs.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Sunshine Farms organic dill pickles, Unico capers, Allen’s cider vinegar and President’s Choice Old-Fashioned Dijon mustard. All are free of additives.

Nigella's favourite potato salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs (900 g) small potatoes

3 1/3 tbsp (50 ml) canola oil

4 tbsp (60 ml) sliced dill pickles, plus 2 teaspoons (10 ml) liquid from the jar

3 tablespoons (45 ml) capers, plus 1 teaspoon (5 ml) liquid from the jar

1 teaspoon (5 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon (5 ml) mustard

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons (30 ml) roughly chopped fronds of dill, plus some more little fronds left whole

2 tablespoons (30 ml) chives (finely chopped)

Preparation:

Steam the potatoes for about 45 minutes, or until soft when pierced with a small fork. Tip the water away and sit the cooked potatoes over the still-hot pan beneath, without a lid on top of them, to dry out for 5-10 minutes, though you can easily leave them there for longer.

While the potatoes are steaming, get on with the dressing by pouring the oil, the liquid from the jars of pickles and capers, the vinegar and mustard into an empty jar and shaking together. Do whisk together in a bowl if you prefer.

Get out a large mixing bowl and transfer the cooked potatoes to it, cutting them in half lengthways as you do so. Then grind pepper very generously on top. Give your dressing a good final shake before you pour it over the potatoes and then toss gently to mix and leave the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, until just about warm but certainly not hot.

Add the sliced pickles and capers, plus most of the chopped dill and chives and toss again. Taste for seasoning. Add more vinegar, pickle or caper liquid if you want more sharpness.

Turn out into a serving bowl and scatter the rest of the dill and chives on top. Serves 6.

From Nigella Lawson

This tasty recipe from NYT Cooking tosses shredded cabbage with a citrus dressing and tops it with succulent grilled shrimp. Marinate the shrimp briefly in some of the dressing before grilling. Reserve more dressing and toss cabbage, mango, cilantro and scallions with the remaining dressing. Transfer to the slaw to a serving platter and top with shrimp. Drizzle the remaining dressing on top. Cook’s note: I omitted the mango.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use freshly squeezed orange and lime juice, pure honey and shrimp that has been preserved with salt.

Grilled shrimp with spicy slaw

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1 orange)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice (from 2 limes)

¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil

2 tablespoons (30 ml) honey

2 tablespoons (30 ml) thinly sliced jalapeño (or more, to taste)

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) kosher salt

1 pound (454 g) large (16 to 20 count) peeled and deveined shrimp

4 packed cups (1 L) thinly shredded green cabbage

1 mango (optional), peeled and julienned

1 cup (250 ml) chopped cilantro

2 thinly sliced scallions

Preparation:

Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil, honey, jalapeño and salt. Taste and add more jalapeño if you’d like more heat.

Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the dressing to a medium bowl and toss with the shrimp; let the shrimp marinate while you heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high.

Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml) f the dressing from the large bowl, then add the cabbage, mango (if using), cilantro and scallions to the large bowl; toss to coat.

Grill the shrimp until lightly charred and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.

Transfer the slaw to a serving platter. Set the shrimp on top and drizzle shrimp with the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of dressing; serve immediately. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking

This dish from Food and Wine is a great casual supper. Brown chicken thighs and set aside. Make the pan sauce and set some aside. Add beans and tomatoes to pan and heat through. Place the bean mixture on serving plates and top with the chicken. Cook’s note: I omitted the garnish.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. I used a white wine from Frogpond Farm with a sulfite content below 10 parts per million. Blue Menu beans are additive-free, or you could soak and cook 1 cup of dried beans.

Crispy chicken thighs with lemony white beans

Ingredients:

6 small bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

2 ½ teaspoons (12.5 ml) kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) crushed red pepper

¼ cup (45 ml) water or white wine

2 teaspoons (10 ml) grated lemon zest

3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons (30 ml) chopped fresh oregano

2 (15-ounce/425 g) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups (500 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved

Baby arugula, for garnish

Preparation:

Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1 ½ teaspoons (7.5 ml) salt and black pepper. Place chicken, skin side down, in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until skin is rendered and crisp, about 12 minutes. Flip and cook until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 165°F (74°C), about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate, reserving drippings in skillet.

Add oil to skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring often, until mixture is fragrant and garlic begins to brown, about 30 seconds. Add ¼ cup (60 ml) water (or wine); cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet, until the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat; stir in lemon zest and juice and oregano. Transfer 2 tablespoons pan sauce to a small bowl, and season with additional salt to taste; set aside.

Add beans, tomatoes, and remaining 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt to reserved pan sauce in skillet; cook over medium, stirring often, until beans are heated through and tomatoes begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Divide bean mixture evenly among plates, and top with chicken thighs. Garnish with arugula and drizzle with reserved pan sauce. Serves 4-6.

From Food and Wine

This refreshing salad from Food and Drink would be perfect for a light lunch. Cook asparagus. Make the dressing and fold the crab meat into half of it. Place asparagus on plate with greens, drizzle with remaining dressing, top with crab meat and garnish with sliced green onion and microgreens. Cook’s note: I used cooked, chopped shrimp instead of crab and butter letter instead of microgreens.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used Hellmann’s mayo, Smart Miso brand white miso, President’s Choice frozen shrimp (thawed and cooked) and freshly squeezed lemon juice. I chopped fresh ginger and mixed it with Marukan rice vinegar to make the pickled ginger.

Chilled crab and asparagus salad with miso dressing

Ingredients:

1 lb (455 g) asparagus, tough ends trimmed

¼ cup (60 ml) mayo

4 tsp (20 ml) fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp (15 ml) white miso

1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped pickled ginger

1 green onion, thinly sliced, divided

7 oz (200 g) cooked crab meat

½ cup (125 ml) microgreens, divided

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook asparagus until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Cool, drain and dry. Slice each spear of asparagus on bias into three pieces.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk mayo, lemon juice and miso until smooth. Stir in pickled ginger and half of green onion. Remove half of dressing and set aside. Gently fold crab into remaining dressing until evenly coated.

Place asparagus on a serving dish with microgreens (reserve a few greens for garnish). Toss gently. Drizzle with reserved dressing. Pile crab on top. Garnish with remaining green onions and microgreens. Serves 2.

From Food and Drink

This recipe from Evergreen Kitchen is a great way to use your air fryer. Prepare ingredients in three shallow bowls, as directed. Coat the eggplant and air fry for about 10 minutes. Top with cheese and air fry for another few minutes. Serve with warm marinara sauce, Parmesan and fresh basil.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Panko breadcrumbs are usually additive-free, as is genuine Parmesan (the name should be stamped on the rind). Check the dry spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Simple brand pizza mozzarella is free of additives, as is Ursina brand marinara sauce.

Air fryer eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

½ cup (125 ml) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) fine sea salt, divided

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) black pepper (more for garnish)

2 large eggs, whisked

2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

1 cup (250 ml) panko breadcrumbs

½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons (30 ml) Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons (10 ml) garlic powder

1 eggplant (16 oz/454 g), cut into ¼-inch (0.63-cm) thick rounds

Oil spray

12 oz mozzarella (340 g), thinly sliced

3 cups (750 ml) marinara sauce, warmed

Fresh basil (optional, for garnish)

Preparation:

Prep: In a shallow bowl, combine flour, ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) of the salt and pepper. In a second shallow bowl, mix eggs and water thoroughly. Then, in a third shallow bowl, combine panko, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and the remaining ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt.

Coat eggplant: Dip one piece of eggplant into the flour mixture to coat both sides. Then, dip it into the egg mixture to wet both sides. Transfer to the panko mixture and coat both sides. Arrange the coated eggplant into a single layer in an air fryer basket, repeating as needed.

Air fry: Spray the eggplant with oil. Bake in an air fryer (no need to preheat) at 375°F (190°C) until golden brown, about 10 minutes (time varies by air fryer). Top each piece of eggplant with a slice of mozzarella. Bake again at 375°F (190°C) until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Serve: Divide the warmed marinara sauce into shallow serving bowls or plates. Top with the crispy eggplant. Garnish with extra Parmesan and fresh basil, if using. Serves 4.

From Evergreen Kitchen